Cozying down with Kopi Seduh

When did I start loving coffee? Well, ever since university really back in Yogyakarta. Despite all that you’re seeing today, the coffee culture was already pretty strong there, particularly strong because Yogyakarta was literally called the student city. There are more schools and universities that your fingers and toes can count, which means there’s a constant flow of students and their demanding assignments to be done. As a result, a good cup of joe made the one good accompaniment to keep themselves sane through all the deadlines.

It was around 2012 and 2013 back then, but Jogja already so tastefully catered to our desperate needs to stay motivated and awake while working on our tasks! There were so many chains, from cozy, cutesy cafes to rustic joints with an unbelievably wide selection of beans for just 8000 thousand Rupiahs where you sit on a rattan rug (called a tikar), without WiFi to distract you – it was easy to immerse yourself in decent conversations.

So, what do I particularly love about coffee? Well, mostly it’s the gradual shift from something warm between my hand to a delicate creation to sooth and revive me. I started my coffee journey with milk added inside and I’m not ashamed nor bothered to admit that’s how I like to take it. I love how a velvety latte coats my tongue like a blanket, waking up my senses. Then, when I see a coffee handed to me, I look at that perfect shade of almond and I see it holding all of the possibilities a day holds.

However, in the middle of the coffee boom in our society, I’ve settled on my choice on Toko Kopi Seduh. Turns out this small to-go coffee joint is a mere 8-minute walk from my kost, sans side-walk of course. And if I’m feeling like it’s a bit of a tad hassle, I would order it from a GoJek. Anyways, it’s a fairly new joint that made itself known on Instagram (as most F&B chains do now) and it’s also a joint-venture with a delightful bakery. I’ve been ordering it hot so much lately every morning to start my day, mainly because those are the ones that are always freshly made on-the-spot. At just 17,ooo Rupiahs, I get all that I paid for and more. A cup is a balanced milk coffee; never too watery, and never too heavy at just the right temperature and I love swirling it around my tongue before I swallow. You can order it without sugar, and it tastes just as heavenly.

I just feel, happy when I drink this coffee and it’s an absolute treat NOT only because it’s reasonably priced. It calms me when as I look through my e-mails, my current reading material for class, and it helps me stay focused on those tasks. Oh, there’s also a routine that goes with drink their coffee, you know. I would open my sheer window curtain, turn off my room light to let in the sunshine while I put on some slow Jazz, ugh, it’s lovely. However, most of all, it’s not pretentious in the slightest sense because it smells, and tastes like a coffee you would make yourself at home, may it be from an instant espresso machine or a french press paired with your day-to-day milk. Simple as that. Furthermore, it’s kind of doing good for my wallet and my coffee-spending habits. There’s a cafe that I could easily pop into within 5 minutes by a GoJek but their coffee doesn’t necessarily form a bond with me.

So, the perfect cup to me doesn’t lie in the bean, grind, temperature or process even though I love a Piccolo now and then. It’s the experience that I’m looking for and how it warms me from the inside out.